TANTRA: the Path of Ecstasy by Dr. Georg Feuerstein

Dr. Georg Feuerstein, is a leading expert on Yoga and Tantra, let me quote a bit from his book “Tantra: the Path of Ecstasy”:

“Consider for a moment that the Dalai Lama is a Tantric adept, and those visions of sexual bliss that the word “Tantra” conjures up in most people’s minds would quickly dissolve! Tantra is more than the sex play of popular articles and books.” Georg Feuerstein, conjures up a much richer world of Hindu cosmology, philosophy, and theology. Tantra is a form of devotionalism, in which ritual sounds, gestures, and actions figure prominently. Reverence of the guru as god also plays a part, but Feuerstein tempers our suspicion by repeating the admonitions of Tantric texts down through the ages to choose carefully. As much prudence must also go into reflection on the disciple’s own person, who engages in strict yogic discipline designed to conquer the six enemies: “desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride, and envy.” Feuerstein draws on the ancient texts to describe the Tantric path in great detail, including realization of the subtle body, directing energy through the chakras, and, yes, sex. Taken together, Tantra becomes a vivid, multifaceted path to self-realization.

With further kudos to Dr. Feuerstein:

In his Tantric teachings, Buddha taught a special practice called “transference of consciousness into another body.” Those who are skilled in Tantra have a profound experience of exchanging self with others. During my Tantric Healing Ritual, I am seeking to remove any feelings you may have of anguish, sorrow and stress and replace them in you with feelings of amazing comfort, joy, blissful well-being and compassion.

The most common distortion is to present Tantra as a mere discipline of ritualized or sacred sex. In the popular mind, Tantra has become equivalent to sex! Nothing could be farther from the truth! It seems that some confuse Tantric bliss (ananda) with ordinary orgasmic pleasure. White Tantra should not be confused with black or red Tantra. Those forms of yoga also transform energy, but in a different way and for different purposes. Black Tantra directs the energy to manipulate another human being and red Tantra directs the energy solely for sexual purposes.

Tantra is a highly complex tradition and it can be a dangerous path that leads fools into greater bondage and only wise practitioners to freedom and bliss. True Tantric practitioners are called heroes (vita) because they must navigate in treacherous waters that demand constant vigilance and great inner strength.

With the arrival of Tantra in the Western Hemisphere, this ancient tradition is experiencing new challenges. All too often students transfer Western competitiveness to their spiritual practice, where it has no place. They want to be masters overnight and have their own students before they are ready for the tremendous responsibility this entails. This attitude has led to a mushrooming of Neo-Tantric schools, many of which are little more than caricatures of traditional Tantra. The same criticism applies to numerous Yoga teachers and schools, but where Tantric or Tantra-style teachings are involved, the danger of self-delusion and abuse of power is particularly great. Unless the Tantric teacher is of high moral caliber, he or she can do considerable damage to students. I assure you that I approach Tantra with the deepest humility and I respect my clients whom I treat always as honored guests in my home.

Many are attracted to Neo-Tantrism because it promises sexual excitement or fulfillment while clothing purely genital impulses or neurotic emotional needs in an aura of spirituality. I am not fooled by these silly ideas.

Tantra in particular awakens latent abilities that must be managed wisely and in the spirit of compassion and kindness toward others. Any misuse of these abilities or powers will have severe karmic consequences, both for the disciple and for the teacher who granted initiation and transmitted the teachings and the energy supporting them. Tantra is a powerful tool, calling for maturity, self-knowledge, and good-heartedness in its handling. The fact that Tantra has never been easily accessible protects both the Tantric tradition and would-be disciples. This is as true today as it was a thousand years ago. Those who are truly ready to receive initiation and transmission are sooner or later bound to come in contact with the right teacher and tradition. I am blessed and honored that my guru is a righteous and good man. If the law of karma holds true at all, we certainly must expect it to apply to this situation. We are drawn to teachers and teachings because of our inner resonance with them. So long as we look at our disappointments on the path as learning experiences, we will continue to grow. Honesty and integrity are our best protection whether or not we have found a teacher.

Sat Nam Rasayan Healing is an application of meditative awareness cultivated by my Kundalini Yoga practice. By becoming increasingly aware of what the various aspects of their own body, mind, and emotions normally feel like and how they feel different when in the presence of another person, the practitioner can know things about other people, particularly imbalances. Sat Nam Rasayan is an art of energy and awareness.

By putting awareness on and providing energy to imbalances in the client, the practitioner provides an opportunity for change, without judgment as to how or when the change will occur. This practice takes the ego out of the equation for the practitioner.

One of the primary purposes of a Tantric Healing Ritual is the balancing of the chakras and to awaken and guide the Kundalini. The Kundalini is a very powerful, intense and healing form of energy that (for most people) is lying dormant at the base of the spine (the sacrum). To fully awaken this powerful energy can take years of devoted practice in the various disciplines of the Tantric Arts. Once awakened, the Kundalini will rise from its resting-place under the sacrum and move up the spine, energizing and healing, eventually re-circulating throughout the entire body.

The Kundalini is known to infuse a tremendous amount of energy into a person, and has an incredible ability to heal almost any affliction, be it physical, emotional or spiritual.